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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26326996">Love me tender</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuura/pseuds/Shuura'>Shuura</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AsaNoya - Freeform, Canon Compliant, Canon Het Relationship, Character Study, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, I love them okay, KiyoAsa besties confirmed, Kiyoko has a dark humor bc I said so, Relationship Study, mentions of sex and actual sex in chapter 2 mostly, what a queen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:42:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,061</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26326996</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuura/pseuds/Shuura</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> “It’s light.”</i>
  <br/>
  <i>“That’s what I always said.” </i>
</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p>But that’s not how it begins.</p><p>For Tanaka, it begins with a shouted, “Marry me, please!” It begins with a total rejection. </p><p>For Shimizu it begins much later. But it also begins much earlier, in her first year of high school.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love me tender</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I love both Tanaka and Kiyoko and this idea came out of spite to all the haters after it turned out they got married in manga (have you SEEN Kiyoko's smile?? She's so HAPPY and IN LOVE, disgusting T_T)</p><p>And I wanted to try to do both character study (as I tend to do haha) and a relationship study and boost my serotonin by imagining fictional people in love (as one does), so here's me making up how they got to the point of dating and imagining this is canon, I hope you like it!!</p><p>I couldn't think of a title, it's so cheesy sorry about that  &gt;.&lt;</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s light.”</p><p>“That’s what I always said.”</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>But that’s not how it begins.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>For Tanaka, it begins with a shouted, “Marry me, please!”</p><p>It begins with a total rejection.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>For Shimizu it begins much later. </p><p>But it also begins much earlier, in her first year of high school.</p><p>The first week goes pretty much without a hitch. She meets her new class, makes an effort to talk to them. There are three girls, best friends from middle school, who invite her to their little group. They spend all the breaks talking about boys and parties and clothes and, while Shimizu doesn’t have much to contribute to the conversations, she’s content to just listen and be asked about who she agrees with from time to time.</p><p>They buy lunches from the cafeteria and eat outside, so Shimizu usually just goes with them. She makes her own bento, because she has only so much pocket money to spend frivolously and she'd rather buy herself a cinema ticket or something cute. She doesn’t think about it much when the girls tease her about bringing home-made meals to school. She shrugs it off, because it’s just teasing. All friends tease each other. Shimizu just doesn’t know how to tease back.</p><p>At the end of the first week a boy confesses to her and it goes downhill from there.</p><p>Shimizu turns him down gently as every other time in middle school. He recognizes him as a boy in her class but she just doesn’t know him well enough to begin dating him just like that. He’s very gracious about it, too, which always makes her breathe a little easier. She sometimes gets called a bitch after she rejects a boy and she always feels really bad after.</p><p>But that’s the time, as she thinks about it later, that began to change everything. The girls Shimizu was friends with, or she thought they were well off to being friends, start to make cutting remarks, mean remarks about her; that’s she’s too fat and her legs must be ugly, that’s why she hides them, that her glasses make her look like a nerd, and that her pigtails make her look 12 and that’s why boys will never like her.</p><p>On the other hand boys in her class get more rowdy with every day, more comfortable and while some of them don’t bother her at all, there’s a group of boys who made it they’re life purpose to flip her skirt up in the hallways. When she glares at them - she’s so offended and angry and embarrassed that she can’t get a word out - they just laugh and ask why she's so angry, they can’t even see her panties because of her black tights. </p><p><em> That’s not the problem here! </em> she wants to scream, but the words don’t come when she wants them to. They come much later while she’s home alone and she screams in her pillow instead because she has no one else to talk to. She notices the boy who confessed to her joining the group that harasses her and laughs with them as they share naked pictures of women like it’s nothing.</p><p>Shimizu’s “friends” quietly giggle behind their hands. They stop hanging out with her and inviting her to lunch shortly after.</p><p>Shimizu gets swept up by homework and exams, and lets herself not think too much about it all. She’s good at that, at this point. Besides, being alone is easy. She’s used to it. With her parents working all the time and her having no siblings or close friends, she learned how to fend for herself.</p><p>The more she rejects confessions, the more of them come. It’s probably because it’s all so new, this high school life, those high school people, and she’s right. It all dies down pretty quickly, in three or four weeks, then the confessions turn sporadic.</p><p>In those three or four weeks, she learns herself a name - Ice Queen. She overhears someone in the girl’s bathroom talking about it one time and they said it’s because she thinks she’s too good for everyone, she never accepts confessions, she ditched her friend group and she never talks to anyone in class. Her grades are pretty good, so it all adds up, in their minds: Shimizu Kiyoko thinks she’s better than everyone.</p><p>It makes her extremely careful in talking to anyone. She always wonders if they know, if they’re going to say something mean or mention it at all. She already had enough problems with talking to people, with making friends, with speaking up in front of others, but after that… She came home for a week straight and cried her eyes out with only herself and her music to drown out her sobs.</p><p>Her homeroom teacher asks her if she chose an extracurricular activity yet, if she wants to join any clubs. Maybe that will make it easier for her to make friends or talk to girls her age in general. He proposed a few girl sport teams in Karasuno and Kiyoko nods throughout, accepts the slip of paper with the names of the senpai who she could talk to to join, then thanks the teacher for all the trouble.</p><p>She tucks the paper in one of her books and promptly forgets about it an hour later.</p><p>One day, though, as she’s about to go home, she sees a boy near the gates handing out fliers, very enthusiastically, chattering and following them around until he goes back to his spot. Shimizu notices as he sighs deeply before bringing back his cheerful person tenfold, handing out more fliers. Most people straight up avoid him.</p><p>She soon recognizes the boy from the same year but another class than her. He has light hair and a beauty mark on his face, just like she had. Maybe that’s why she noticed him in the first place. Well, that and that big smile of his. He seems to be always smiling about something.</p><p>He’s on her before she even has a chance to escape, his mock serious face on as he gives her one of the last fliers. “I’m Sugawara Koushi, first year, from the Karasuno Volleyball Club. We would love you to be our manager!” He bows deeply before her.</p><p>She’s so uncomfortable. People are staring at them. But the boy seems so desperate that it would be just too rude not to at least listen to him. “But I don’t know anything about volleyball,” she says.</p><p>He quickly goes to say, “You totally don’t have to! And even if you don’t know what a manager does we can try to figure it out together there’s a bunch of handbooks and we can get a manager from another club to show you the ropes, so please consider if you’re not in any other clubs or you have some time on your hands, or…”</p><p>“Okay,” Shimizu says mostly so Sugawara can take a break to breathe.</p><p>His eyes widened, his expression both shocked and pleased. “Really? Yes! You’re going to be the best manager, I can feel it! Beauty Mark Beauties are always the best at everything, I can humbly confirm. Oh man, that’s so good, I have to tell Daichi and Asahi, and the captain, and coach Ukai of course!”</p><p>“Um,” Shimizu stops him again. She clutched the flier to her chest and said. “I will take a look. I will let you now tomorrow, if that’s okay.”</p><p>Sugawara laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkle, he looks like a mischievous pixie from some fantasy anime. He scratched at his cheek a bit and says, “Sorry, I jumped to conclusions. But yeah, that’s fine, everything’s fine. And I also forgot to ask you about your name.”</p><p>Shimizu hesitates. Her name comes with a lot of different presumptions and rumors about her. But she also doesn’t want to be that kind of person who doesn’t speak when she doesn’t like something or when she wants something nor the person who is scared to move forwards because of rumors about her that aren’t even true.</p><p>“It’s Shimizu. Kiyoko Shimizu,” she says, bracing for whatever is to come.</p><p>Sugawara’s clever, she can tell, and he’s good with people. His eyes light up with recognition, with all the presumptions and expectations others placed on her that she refuses to fit into. But then, even after he knows who she is, he smiles brightly at her and says, “Well, Shimizu Kiyoko, expect me to pester you some more tomorrow. I know where your classroom is, so I’m going to find you even if you try to hide!”</p><p>She laughs a little, just a soft amused breath and Suga’s grin brightens even more.</p><p>Then there are two boys coming from the side of the gyms and one shouts, “Suga, are you done with the fliers?”</p><p>“See you,” Sugawara says to her and practically skips over to his friends, jumping on their broad backs and almost making them tumble onto the ground. They pretend to be mad for a moment, before he tells them something.</p><p>The three of them look over to Shimizu and she quickly tears his eyes away from them and quickly exits the school grounds.</p><p>She spends entirely too long putting off her homework and watching volleyball videos, instead. She thinks that maybe the game isn’t so bad. She likes the teamwork aspect of volleyball a lot. With running, you only have yourself, you depend on yourself and if you screw up, that’s on you. With volleyball you have to be the best version of yourself while working with 6 other vastly different people.</p><p>It might be fun, seeing that in person.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>Tanaka makes his high school debut count. </p><p>He bleaches his hair striking blond, tells his sister - who’s a pro at this at that point, having dyed her own hair since middle school - to make a sloppy job of it, so it doesn’t look like Tanaka tries too hard, which, he doesn’t realize this yet, makes it all sorts of ironic. He wants to make an impression. A particular sort of impression. Like he doesn’t give a shit about what anyone else thinks - that’s his goal.</p><p>In middle school he was trying to play a good boy, had people tutor him in almost all of school subjects, but apparently he couldn’t focus well enough and his answers weren’t good enough, and they ended up smacking his head and yelling at him a lot. The teachers were fed-up with him because he couldn’t sit still and his voice was too loud, and just wanted to get him out of their hair as soon as possible. The girls were scared of him and called him all sorts of names, while the most rowdy boys flocked to him and his own boisterous personality. Besides, they got sports to bond over.</p><p>Also, most of the school staff who knew Saeko, immediately assumed her younger brother - looking and acting like <em> that </em>- also has to be a delinquent. </p><p>So Tanaka did everything in his power to prove them wrong. He tried to get good grades, help everyone and always look presentable, his shirt neatly tucked in his pants, the tie he hated tucked under his neck, albeit a little loose so it won’t get to choke a life out of him one day. The sports clubs, especially volleyball, have been his little respite from the constant array of expectations and judgments placed on him by everyone he met.</p><p>But he wasn’t good at lying or acting, so all his effort was met with nothing. As much as he tried he just could get mediocre grades, the teacher always found a reason to make him do extra work and the girls always walked in on him making a stupid joke or a dance, which made him feel like shit afterward.</p><p>It was just how he was, you know? He was your typical <em> guy </em> . Sometimes someone would tell him, “Tanaka, you’re such a <em> guy </em>,” and it was sometimes said in awe, with disgust or dismissal. The girls usually make it sound like it was his worst quality. Being a guy. But Tanaka was a guy. He was a fucking idiot that couldn’t keep good grades, he liked sports and cars and motorcycles, he had posters of his favourite actresses in bikinis on his bedroom wall, at the same time not being able to have a normal conversation with a girl other than his sister at all.</p><p>He was just a guy. A normal, mediocre guy. Not even especially popular, not especially not popular, just… normal.</p><p>But he wanted to be something <em> more </em>.</p><p>That’s why he joined the Karasuno Volleyball Team - to be <em> the ace </em> , to prove himself, prove <em> to </em> himself that he was able to do it, that his life wasn’t going to be mediocre forever.</p><p>That’s why he, at first at least, tried to look like he didn’t care about anything. It was better to have people see this ripped, ugly guy with bleached hair, looking like a delinquent, and be disappointed, so Tanaka can prove them wrong. Instead of just showing all his cards and being disappointed with him when he tried really hard.</p><p>He forgot about his plan pretty soon. Because he’s awful and both lying and acting, and he cares too much, and worries about everything and when he’s having fun with his new friends, he forgets about all of his problems for a while.</p><p>And it will be a process to <em> actually learn </em>to not care about what other people think of him and just be himself, that there’s nothing wrong with how he is.</p><p>But he’s not at that stage yet, when he meets Shimizu for the first time.</p><p>There are few things going in his head, when he sees her jumping through the gym entrance with her sneakers in her hands, all flowy hair and glasses reflecting light and legs <em> for miles </em> . Those things are, in no particular order: <em> angel ascending from heavens, a goddess, war are fought in a name of that beauty, a painting or a sculpture come to life, a supermodel, an actress, legs muscles is she doing sports?? </em> And others. But Tanaka’s heads too scrambled to recall more.</p><p>Oh! Also, he thinks:<em> totally a wife material </em> despite not knowing her <em> at all </em>. </p><p>And because he’s a fucking dumbass, feeling like a mortal faced with a life and death decision as a goddess descend to his level, he blurts out with so much conviction he even surprises himself, “Marry me, please!”</p><p>And of course, not like he expected to agree, he’s only a mortal after all, she says, in the most melodic soft but confident voice, “No.”</p><p>He hears others laugh at him, but it’s not mean laughs and anyway he’s used to being called an idiot, so it doesn’t even bother him. He walks dazed, like he’s in some kind of trance, for the rest of the day, and after he comes back home. He stares at his poster of the half-naked lady - who was a teen in his favourite show when he was younger, but now she’s probably closer to thirty - and thinks not one of these posters or his fictional crushes can compare to what he feels right now, all mushy inside. It’s totally unmanly of him, he’d be laughed at when any of the guys he knows would find out.</p><p>That’s the first suggestion Tanaka might not be as carefree as people make him out to be, and as he would like to be.</p><p>The goddess is their manager and she’s called Shimizu Kiyoko and that’s somehow the perfect name for her and also a year older than him. She’s also super smart and kind, not only otherworldly beautiful. And that somehow makes it worse. </p><p>Actually, seeing her everyday makes it worse. ‘Cause Tanaka could maybe bear the weird warm feelings inside and admire her from afar - that’s what you usually do with the person you like, but don’t know very well, but also know you wouldn’t be able to speak a normal word to them and they would probably not even want to talk to you or associate with you at all. But seeing your crush every day, noticing things about her that make him go even more crazy about her and acting like a total fucking idiot every time she looks at him is the worst scenario that is currently Tanaka’s life. Just shoot him dead, please. Put him out of his misery. He was humiliated enough for one lifetime.</p><p>It’s not like he’s got any chances, anyway. She’s all... <em> you know </em> . And he’s all like… <em> you know </em>.</p><p>He doesn’t even think about confessing. It’s such an abstract concept for him, like going to university or going abroad. Like, that’s a possibility, but like <em> really </em>? Probably not gonna happen, so he doesn’t think about it, otherwise he’s gonna spontaneously combust or something.</p><p>Besides, he never confessed to anyone and no one confessed to him, so he doesn’t even know what it would look like. If he’s gonna ask someone if they want to meet on the break or after school and go to a private location, people will think he wants to beat the shit out of this person or something.</p><p>Tanaka Ryuunosuke has the biggest crush on Shimizu Kiyoko, that’s a fact of life. And he’s not going to do anything about it, that’s another.</p><p>And maybe because of his crush, he starts noticing how guys from his class talk about her. She’s pretty popular and most people know who she is - which, well, <em> duh </em>, she’s the prettiest girl at school. But they call her Ice Queen, and how cold and heartless she is, and that she has to be into girls or something because there’s no way she rejected every guy who ever confessed to her since she was a first year.</p><p>Tanaka sees a lot wrong with that logic and he tells the guys that, because for all they like to talk about their crushes, and cute girls and their bodies in general all the time, they feel that just because they think a girl is pretty she owed them her time. And talk about girls liking girls like it’s a loss for them, like they ever had a chance in the first place.</p><p>Tanaka wants to reevaluate all of his previous interactions and thoughts about girls, because those guys are annoying as hell. Is he like that? He’s not, is he?</p><p>He doesn’t push himself where he’s not welcome. And while he thinks about girls a lot, and watches porn and all that, he gets that it's not a reality and that every girl is different and has a life outside of dating, like any normal person.</p><p>And as far as being gay goes, Tanaka doesn’t get it. He doesn’t tend to think about other guys’ dicks. And he could maybe get, in like a general concept, what people see in guys, but he just doesn’t.</p><p>What he does get is finding girls hot, though. And besides, his sister is not exclusively into women, but she brought her girlfriend once over to their house. The chick had one side of her head shaved, a bunch of tattoos and a cool bike. Tanaka was too intimidated by her looks to ask her about the bike, but she totally figured him out and they went on a ride all over Miyagi, screaming like there was no tomorrow and after that, Tanaka saw her a few more times and turned out she was very polite and sweet and loved Saeko a lot. But they had a few fights and they broke up.</p><p>Anyway, Tanaka tries to argue with the guys that even if Shimizu likes girls, or anyone likes girls, it’s not their business. And besides, she’s really sweet as a person and should be with someone who can truly appreciate her, boy or girl.</p><p>The guys laugh it off, like they always do, calling him a simp with rolls of their eyes or saying, “You’re too whipped, my guy. You do know you still won’t get any, right?” But then the conversation goes to Shimizu’s boobs and ass, and Tanaka doesn’t want to listen to it anymore.</p><p>He stops hanging out with those guys anymore. They were just pissing him off anyway.</p><p>He makes a promise to himself to not ever talk about Shimizu’s body like it’s some piece of meat. Or any girl’s body. They are more than just how they look and their personalities shine through their looks anyway.</p><p>And that’s how Tanaka figures out a way to talk about Shimizu and while it’s not as bad as those guys, it’s not exactly good either.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>Shimizu has been a manager for a few weeks now. The boys on the team are so nice to her and even the grumpy coach Ukai tries to keep his tongue around her, which she appreciates, because if she had all that red faced rage centered on her she would probably cry a little.</p><p>She hangs out in the club most of the time and in class, she’s still alone. Some people talk to her casually or ask about homework, but she doesn’t have closer friends. Especially any female friends. But she is a girl, she likes girly stuff, she likes boys, she doesn’t get why every time she tries to talk to them it doesn’t click.</p><p>With boys it’s different. They talk to her, but they often say how cute she looks and don’t usually listen to what she has to say.</p><p>So she spends most of her time around the volleyball boys, Sugawara, Sawamura and Azumane. But they’re also boys and they talk weirdly around her, albeit far less weird than the rest of the team. She sees them on the court, shouting, roughhousing, laughing, arguing playfully or clapping each other on the backs and she knows that’s their real personalities. But then they talk to her and they talk in soft tones and don’t ever swear or make jokes.</p><p>She likes that they’re just met this year but they’re already so comfortable with each other. She wants friends like that.</p><p>And she sees herself learning to be comfortable with them. Sugawara may look like an angel but he makes the weirdest jokes sometimes that when Shimizu overhears, she almost chokes on her own spit with how much she wants to laugh, but is too shy to. </p><p>Sawamura is like a big brother for his friends, and she later learns that’s because she actually <em> is </em>a big brother for his two kid siblings. He’s always the one that so hilariously unamused at everyone’s jokes it’s like it’s a joke in itself. But he makes fun of Azumane in some weird ploy to get him to talk more.</p><p>And then there’s Azumane. At first Shimizu thought he hated her guts for some reason, because he didn’t speak a word to her for the first two weeks - but she's the one to talk, she just says <em> hello </em> and <em> goodbye </em>because she was scared to talk herself - and he always looks angry. She though he must be plotting everyone’s murder under that glare. But turned out it’s his Nervous Face, just like Kiyoko’s Nervous Face is all neutral and cold. And he’s actually nice and polite and gentle with bugs even if he’s scared to death by ladybugs landing on his cheek.</p><p>It’s not just before the summer break when she does something about this not-having-friends thing and invites herself for their study date at Azumane’s house.</p><p>So she asks, “Would you mind if I came, too?” She regrets it immediately, when their faces turn surprised but reluctant. So she backtracks quickly. “Oh. Um, I mean, I don’t have to, if... If that’s a problem?”</p><p>“No, no! It’s totally fine. We want to,” Suga says, but then grins, sheepish. “But wouldn’t it be weird?”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“W-well, you’re a <em> girl </em> and we’re three <em> guys </em>,” Azumane says, willing her to understand. It would look weird. She gets it. But she doesn’t want to. And it makes her angry.</p><p>“Well, it’s not an orgy or anything, we’ll be just studying, right?” </p><p>She knows it’s the wrong thing to say, because all three of them starts to blush and take a step back and Azumane starts hyperventilating and stuttering. “O-o-oo-or-orgy? Who said anything about-!? My grandma won’t allow something like-! I don’t want to even think-! What!”</p><p>And that’s it, Azumane being worried if his grandma allows orgies at their house, that's the first thing he thought about, makes the rest of them crack up so bad they have to clutch their stomachs because they hurt from laughing so much.</p><p>Asahi whines at them for being the worst friends and how cruel they are to him, but can’t help huffing out a laugh himself. </p><p>Finally, Shimizu says, “What would your grandma say about just studying together, then?”</p><p>“I have to call her, but she’s probably going to be okay with it. Are you really sure you wanna come, though? You’re gonna be questioned and tortured by her until she gets all of your secrets before you even know it.”</p><p>Shimizu giggles. “I don’t mind at all. Sounds like fun.”</p><p>Sawamura claps her on the back with a shake of his head, “You don’t even know what you’re getting into, Shimizu. Run away while you still can.”</p><p>Asahi squawks. “My grandma is not that bad, Daichi!”</p><p>Sugawara slinks to her other side, linking their hands in elbows, saying, “She totally is. Grandma Azumane is inside how Asahi looks on the outside. They probably switched their personalities along the way.”</p><p>Shimizu laughs, because Sugawara keeps making the metaphor even more graphic and convoluted. </p><p>Then, they talk about all sorts of stuff when Sawamura and Azumane finally stop arguing and join them.</p><p>For the first time Shimizu thinks those guys and her might be the best of friends, yet.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>After the worst day of Tanaka’s adolescent life comes one of the best days. It’s the day he meets Nishinoya Yuu for the first time.</p><p>They became best friends in 3 seconds flat and every other interaction just solidified that. They were both loud and rowdy, loved pretty much the same things like action movies and summer and the same food and much more.</p><p>Noya is the kind of guy who always said what was on his mind. But he wasn’t a jerk like some blunt guys could be, he was good to his core and he decided to share it with the world because that’s what the world needs - more guys like Nishnoya Yuu.</p><p>They were just winding down after the hours of training, everyone sprawled on the gym floor, lazy, sweaty and disgusting. But not Noya, he was fresh as a daisy, with much more energy for at least three more hours and a run all the way home.</p><p>Then someone asks him how come he chose Karasuno, if he got recommendations from other teams. Noya was sort of a volleyball star or genius or something, because once they get to talk half the team at least says they saw him in a local newspaper, played against his team or saw him play. Tanaka, too. Or at least he thinks he remembers a scary, super focused libero who never let any ball touch the ground if he could help it.</p><p>Noya, being Noya, starts gushing about Karasuno uniforms, how the girl’s look cute and the guys look cool in them, like no exceptions. Everyone sighs with fond smiles, shaking their head like they simoulatonsoly can and can’t believe this guy. Tanaka, though, is so awed by Noya’s logic and his <em> everything </em>really. He’s just so cool, doing what he wants, defying everyone's expectations like it’s nothing and being so unapologetically himself.</p><p>He says all of that to him, while Noya laughs loudly and tells him he has got some guts himself, bleaching his hair like that and he has some power in those arms ‘course his spikes sting Noya’s forearms extra hard.</p><p>It almost makes Tanaka cry.</p><p>They end up talking a lot after that, and Noya doesn’t even interrupt him when Tanaka, inevitably, starts gushing about Shimizu. She’s in her track pants and t-shirt, hair flowing freely down her back in waves, talking quietly to Azumane, whose hair also is getting a bit long and it has to be annoying for him to play with it getting all over his face and eyes.</p><p>Anyway, Shimizu. She’s so beautiful, and everything about her is so beautiful. Like her long hair, and face, and her legs - she definitely works out at home or does a sport, her muscles are defined just right.</p><p>Noya looks at Shimizu with him and he sighs in the middle of Tanaka’s rant. “Yeah, so pretty,” Noya says.</p><p>Tanaka might have found his platonic soulmate. He wants to cry again. “Oh my god, bro! You like Shimizu-senpai, too?!”</p><p>“Eh? Oh! Yeah, she’s super pretty! Like a goddess on earth or something like that, I don’t know, I’m not a poet.”</p><p>Tanaka cries this time, at least a little. “Brooooo!”</p><p>And thus, they’re best friends.</p><p>The team has a tradition to get the steamed buns from Ukai’s convenience store, and one day it happens most of them are present, sans Kiyoko who had to go home early. Everyone’s so loud Ukai tells them to get outside and only Daichi and Suga are allowed to buy them stuff. Noya eats a few buns himself and then eats a soda favored GariGari-kun. And Tanaka is seriously impressed with his bottomless stomach.</p><p>It’s the first time everyone is talking with everyone and the atmosphere is so relaxed and casual. Tanaka doesn’t even freak out too much when he talks to the third year senpais. He mostly talks to Ennoshita. Tanaka would probably not be friends with a guy like him if they weren’t in the same club. Or that’s what he thinks at the beginning. ‘Cause the guy is all quiet and straight-laced and polite but underneath that he’s really got spine, he’s sarcastic and funny and Tanaka finds himself getting closer to all the second years.</p><p>Noya is marching at the beginning of the group, oblivious to everything, sucking on his popsicle. Tanaka from the corner of his eye notices that Azumane - who never approaches anyone first - starts talking to Noya, out of his own volition. They fall into step, leaving everyone else close behind.</p><p>Tanaka respects the shit out of the sheer power of that guy, even though he’s such a meek scaredy-cat outside of court. So it comes as a surprise that he goes to talk to Noya and he doesn’t even look too scared. You’d think someone like Noya would be way too overwhelming and intimidating to him.</p><p>Tanaka and Ennsohita are close enough to them to overhear what they’re talking about, though Noya is probably heard from Mars at all times. </p><p>Asahi says something about how he agrees that the uniforms look cool. </p><p>Well, that’s a bit too late, isn’t it. They had that conversation more than a week ago. Tanaka wondered if Asahi was preparing to say something since that time. On one hand -<em> that’s scary how much this guy overthinks everything, </em> and on the other hand - he got his courage and finally said something, props to him.</p><p>Noya beams up at Azumane, all toothy and stained with blue from his popsicle. “Asahi-senpai, you have taste, after all!”</p><p>The team chuckles as Azumane sputters, “You-you thought I don’t have taste?!”</p><p>Noya just shrugs, doesn’t even get if he said anything wrong. “Yeah, in everything else. You like your curry mild-”</p><p>“I don’t like spicy food!”</p><p>“ And you don’t like coffee at all-”</p><p>“It makes me sleepy!”</p><p>“And all your clothes are baggy. Even your uniform! You have all those muscles, are they for nothing?”</p><p>“They’re certainly not for show! Especially in school. People already say I look like I’m in college or that I’m a delinquent.”</p><p>“That’s because of the bears and long hair!” Daichi shouts from the back of the group.</p><p>Azumane turns to glare at him, but then Noya nods sagely, “Daichi-san’s right. But those suits you. And you can do cool things with your hair if it grows longer, like braids or something. Like those viking warrior braids, maybe. Beard-braids, too!”</p><p>Azumane sighs. “I’m not planning on growing a Gandalf beard, Nishinoya, just a bit of scruff.”</p><p>“Of course not, you’re way too hot for that! Viking, as I said. And if you had your uniform fit better… Just saying.”</p><p>“I’m putting on a lot of muscle because of all the training, that’s why I got the uniform to be loose this year.”</p><p>Noya ponders about it for a moment, chewing the last of his GariGari-kun. “Okay, I’ll allow it.”</p><p>Azumane smiles wryly. “Glad to have your approval, Nishinoya. </p><p>Sugawara is suddenly at Noya’s other side, turning his head back to Daichi, who’s not far behind. “Hey, Daichi? Do you remember our sweet precious summer child and the uniform fiasco last year? Those were the times…”</p><p>Azumane almost sumbles on nothing, expression terrified. “Suga, don’t you dare!”</p><p>Noya perks up, as does the rest of the team. “Suga-san, now you <em> have </em>to tell us!”</p><p>“Let’s just say we all should be glad Asahi’s uniform is a bit looser this year. Wouldn’t want to have any missing button and black eyes. Or see a flash of boob or something. “</p><p>“Sugaaa, that’s one button. Don’t make me into some kind of nudist!”</p><p>“Wait, did he really hit someone in the eye?” Tanaka asks, between laughter.</p><p>Noya is practically vibrating on the spot. “No way! Did he really?”</p><p>“No!” Azumane shouts.</p><p>“No. Didn’t manage to hit anyone. But it would be so funny if he did, right?”</p><p>Everyone else joins Sugawara in laughing at Azumane’s misery.</p><p>Since then, Noya and Azumane talk and tease each other a lot and once again, Tanaka is impressed with Noya, that he can get someone like Azumane, his opposite if there ever was one, to talk and argue and laugh with him and with everyone like that.</p><p>And then Tanaka sometimes notices before or after the games the both of them talking quietly, encouraging each other or easing each other’s nerves with a few words. Noya always knows what to do or say to get Azumane - and anyone, really - to not be afraid.</p><p>Tanaka strives to be at least half as cool and good of a friend as Noya is.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>The study dates are pretty much a normal thing after that first summer. They mostly study in Azumane’s house because it’s the most quiet, only his grandma puttering about in the garden or kitchen, bringing them snacks and tea and staying too long to talk. They all can see she’s pretty lonely with her husband working for most of the day, but they don’t mind. Shimizu loves talking to her, about everything and anything. Her grandparents died before she was born and her parents work all the time, so Grandma Azumane makes her feel at home, like no one else ever did.</p><p>The boys laugh at her for being like an old lady herself sometimes. But jokes on them, because she would totally be the coolest old lady. “I wish high school would be over sooner,” she sighs over her notebook.</p><p>The boys look up at her at that, frowning and, because she doesn’t know how to explain it quickly that the volleyball club is the best part of her high school experience, but somehow she ends up telling her all about the first weeks of high school and how she’s bullied and that she never really knew how to make friends or talk to people.</p><p>Suga’s face is the funniest in that moment, all twisted and frowny, it’s so unfamiliar, because he never gets angry, not seriously angry like that. “I’m going to beat up everyone who said bad things about you, and those fake friends who dumped you. Just tell me their names.”</p><p>Azumane and Sawamura nod. “Even <em> I </em> would punch them if they talked bad about you.”</p><p>Everyone looks at him, amused. Shimizu can’t help but tease him a little. “Would you really punch someone, Azumane? Well, I didn’t take you for the type…”</p><p>“No! Of course I’m not! Okay, I probably wouldn’t actually do any punching, but I would definitely think about punching.”</p><p>“I would definitely punch them, like this - karate chop!” Sugawara gets Azumane in the ribs with his open palm, and he cringes in pain, yelling, “Why me!? Daichi is literally <em> right there! </em>”</p><p>Sawamura finally speaks and makes them quiet for a moment. They all turn to him, as he says, “No, fools, we can make them suffer in ways that don’t involve fighting at all.”</p><p>“Hell yeah, psychological warfare!” Sugawara whoops. “Daichi, you genius!”</p><p>Daichi nods, grinning, his scary face on, which Azumane cowers from behind Shimizu. “We can get Delinquent Guy here to intimidate them, as a first step.”</p><p>“You’re way scarier than me, Daichi! But I guess, if we both look scary enough it would be twice as effective.”</p><p>Sugawara interrupts, offended. “What about me? Am I not scary? I can be scary! Karate cho-!” Daichi catches his hand before it even touches his ribs. Sugawara clicks his tongue and pouts.</p><p>“You’re like a kitten, though, Sugawara,” Shimizu says, just to tease him a little more.</p><p>“Ehhh?” Sugawara flops down onto the kotatsu strewn with textbooks. “You’re so cruel, Shimizu. You’re all cruel to me. Me, not scary… After that Coach Ukai impression I mastered for you…”</p><p>“Actually, Shimizu’s impression is actually the best,” Azumane says and Shimizu feels her cheeks warming. Did he really have to bring it up?</p><p>Sawamura and Sugawara share confused looks, and Shimizu sighs. Here goes nothing.</p><p>She makes her face twist and says in a rough low voice, “If you’re not going to hit that next spike properly, I’m gonna chop all of your fingers and feed to you one by one, for every receive or spike you did wrong.”</p><p>There’s a beat of silence. Shimizu’s cheeks are burning. Then they both sigh with relief. </p><p>“I actually got a child down my spine, Shimizu, that was a terrible impression but you can be so scary,” Sawamura says.</p><p>Shimizu, despite her embarrassment, is pleased with herself at that.</p><p>Sugawara bangs his fists on the table, all indignant. “Shimizu’s terrible! My impression is so much better! Coach is not a Satan, though I get the confusion sometimes, but more like a shonen manga villain!” He clears his throat and his voice actually resembles coach Ukai’s voice. “I have to defeat my fated rival! My fated rival I have thought about every day for thirty years since I was hot in high school and my rival, who was also hot in high school but with better hair, and I have gathered a team of lazy ungrateful misfits to defeat his team of twisted cats once and for all! Except if that actually happens, there will be no other purpose to my life anymore! Oh what a poor bastard I am, pity me, all mortals!”</p><p>“Wait, how do you know what they both looked like in high school?” Azumane frowned.</p><p>Sugawara grinned, all his perfect teeth showing. “I found an old album when I was helping at the library! I took a photo, let me show you!”</p><p>He taps on his phone a few times before he turns the screen to show them a picture of a pretty boy with a charming smile and all artfully wind-swept bangs to the side. Shimizu is speaking for the three of them, when she says they’re jaws were literally on the floor.</p><p>“Oh my god, he’s so hot!” Shimizu and Azumane gasp almost at the same time.</p><p>Sugawara is smiling wickedly, nodding. “Righ? Right? And now to the star of the show…” He swipes and it’s a picture of Coach Ukai. And this time you can tell it’s him, they see him everyday so it’s easier to pick up on the similarities. And the picture is… not very flattering. It’s from the match, and while the face is clearly seen, it’s sweaty and twisted in a sneer as he receives a ball. Mid-movement is not a good angle for the poor Coach Ukai.</p><p>“He’s… he’s not that bad,” Azumane argues, unsure.</p><p>Sawamura just shrugs, because he’s dumb like that. And Sugawara is like, “Yeah, those two pictures side by side are not a good look, but he’s so not bad looking! Right, Shimizu?”</p><p>Shimizu shrugs, apologetic. “I guess he’s not that bad?” She says. “I’m just not into bald guys.”</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>Tanaka is probably gonna take over his family restaurant. That’s just one of the things he kind of accepted about his life. Saeko’s not going to do it, she likes to help out but she’s too much of a wild card. She could want to do it and change her mind 5 seconds later and their parents just leave her be and focus all their nagging on Tanaka.</p><p>There’s also a possibility Tanaka’s cousin could take over the family business but no one has too much hope in him. He can’t even handle a pan without burning himself. No one trusts him with a knife, not even himself. So yeah, unless his cousin has a revelation, Ryuunosuke is the only Tanaka expected and prepared to have that responsibility on his shoulders.</p><p>He helps out a lot, both in the kitchen, waitering around or cleaning, when there’s a need for an extra pair of hands. Every break from school he works part time and he spends all his money on games and movies, or tickets to pro volleyball matches.</p><p>He of course works there the winter in his second year of high school.</p><p>It’s a pretty busy day in terms of business. Even Saeko is there to help. They’re both in matching black aprons. It’s Saturday, a few days before Christmas, so the place is swarmed by couples.</p><p>Those are the times Tanaka feels how painfully single he is the most.</p><p>There are older couples, students, two girls or two guys huddling in a corner, trying so much not to show how close they really are, and to anyone else would think like two very good friends. Tanaka sees how intimate they are just because he can see couples everywhere, he has a sixth sense about romantic feelings, because he’s so painfully and tragically in love that his heart both sings and breaks for other people who found their match.</p><p>Anyway, the night gets worse when Shimizu gets there with her date.</p><p>The guy she’s with is definitely not from Karasuno. Is he from another school? Is he older? Oh god, is he a college boy? And what on earth is he so attractive for? Attractive, purely aesthetically speaking, of course. The pretty boy kind that has their own fanclubs and later become idols or actors purely because of their looks. Kind of like Oikawa from Seijoh, probably. Though this guy looks like he never worked for anything in his life and only had to smile with his stupid perfect white teeth and he’ll get anything he wants.</p><p>Okay, Tanaka may be a bit jealous.</p><p>He sees the guy make Shimizu giggle.</p><p>Tanaka is jealous a lot.</p><p>It also makes him feel really shitty. Shimizu’s hair is in a braid over her shoulder. She wears a blue dress and slightly heeled shoes. And she put on nice natural makeup. She looks even more divine than usual. And the thing is - she and the guy look <em> good </em>together. They’re like an idol couple, a pair of gods, on each other’s level, that someone like Tanaka - with his bald head, with his mediocre face and his acne - can ever dream to compete with.</p><p>Shimizu deserves someone like that. Someone who makes her giggle and talk enthusiastically like that guy does.</p><p>Tanaka just would really not like to see it.</p><p>“Ryuu, what’s the hold-up? Come on! Come on!” Saeko says, hitting him on the back to get moving. But he just can’t. </p><p>“W-wait. Wait! I can’t do it.” He turns to her, taking her hand that she kept pushing him with. “Change sides with me. Please.”</p><p>Saeko frowns, then looks around him, to where he’s subtly pointing with his chin. Her face brightens in recognition.</p><p>“Ah, Karasuno’s manager! Look how pretty she is!” She says way too loud and Tanaka tries to shush her. “You still have that crush on her? It’s been like a year already!”</p><p>In the way she says it, like he’s supposed to get over it like another normal crush and he still hasn't, makes his cheeks hot in embarrassment.</p><p>“Well, unlike you I can’t just change boyfriends - or girlfriends - every three seconds, I’m just not that kind of guy!” He whisper-shouts.</p><p>Saeko looks at him funny. “We’re going to talk about you having no obligations to people you’re not even with. But okay. I can take their table for you. Do you want me to spill some wine on that guy’s shirt or something?”</p><p>“What? N--wait, would you really do that?” He’s so touched. As much as Saeko embarrasses him and pisses him off a lot, he’d never change her for anything. Because what other sister would volunteer to do something so badass and socially unacceptable for her brother?</p><p>Saeko pats him on the head like he’s 4 years old, cooing, “Just say the word, and I’m on it.”</p><p>“Nah. Thanks, though. For everything.”</p><p>Saeko winks at him and turns to go as Shimizu’s date looks around kinda impatiently with no waiter in sight.</p><p>Tanaka always stays overtime, helps his parents clean up and close up properly. Today he has the same plans. But it also means he has to spend the last two hours before closing trying to avoid Shimizu and her date, which proves to be harder than he intended.</p><p>In the end Shimizu bumps into him on her way out of the toilet. She smiles sweetly, more open than ever in school, a pink blush dusting her cheeks - Tanaka doesn’t know if she’s embarrassed that he saw her being on a date or it’s just makeup. They exchange very awkward pleasantries before she goes back to her date and he channels all the willpower he has not to turn around and look at them.</p><p>It’s close to 10 when they leave, the sky is black, the wind is howling outside. Tanaka sees them saying their goodbyes, he wants to look away as soon as Shimizu kisses the guy on the cheek, but he’s glad he’s frozen on the spot, because he sees something else. He sees the guy leaving with a wave, leaving Shimizu alone in the cold, huddling her thin coat for warmth. She just turns around and leaves.</p><p>Tanaka is on his legs in two seconds, grabbing his hat, jacket and scarf, shouting to Saeko that he’s taking a break. There were only two couples left inside, friends of the Tanaka’s, while Tanaka’s mom made excuses about why Saeko doesn’t have a husband yet.</p><p>He doesn’t want to look like a creep, following Shimizu on the dark street, and make her freak out, so he announces his presence by shouting her name.</p><p>“Kiyoko-san!” She turns around and waits for him to catch up to her. “Um, can I--I mean, may I have the pleasure of taking you home?”</p><p>She shakes her head with a small smile. “It’s okay. I’m just going to the bus station, it’s not far.”</p><p>“May I just accompany you to the bus station, then?” He bows this time. He’d really wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to her. And there’s more of a possibility that it can happen, because she’s a woman. Statistically. Not that she needs protection <em> because </em>she’s a woman. Tanaka would offer it to any friend of his. Noya or Ennoshita, for example. It wasn’t a big deal. Tanaka was just a worrier. And his ugly mug usually scares creeps off, that’s a superpower of his, so of course he could use it to help someone he knows.</p><p>She nods and shrugs. He nods too. And so they go. In complete silence. To the bus station.</p><p>It's totally not his place to ask about her date, but the words are out of his mouth before he can stop them, “Uh, was he nice?”</p><p>She fixes the bag on her shoulder, looking to the side, thinking. “Yeah, he was nice,” she says. Then giggles to herself and, maybe because they’re alone, maybe because she really wants to tell someone more about that, she says, “I ordered fish halfway through the evening, because I really didn’t want him to kiss me.”</p><p>Tanaka lets out a bark of laughter. “What?”</p><p>She has a little grin on. “It was really delicious, your family is really skilled. Your sister said your father is the head chef?” </p><p>Tanaka nods dumbly. He thinks with how they walk arm in arm on the narrow sidewalk he can smell her breath. For some reason, he finds it hysterical. She laughs with him but her soft laugh gets drowned by her hand over her mouth and Tanaka’s own obnoxious cackle.</p><p>“Man, my pops is gonna be elated you praised his cooking skills, but dunno how he’s gonna react to his fish preventing an epic romance.”</p><p>Shimizu’s nose scrunches. “Definitely not epic. And not a romance, either. He kept making ‘subtle’ comments about how much he’s going to enjoy the rest of the night where he’s going to take me to his dorm room and fuck me into the mattress.”</p><p>She says it so deadpan that for a moment Tanaka thinks he hallucinated the whole sentence. He can’t even sputter, he’s so shocked. His head is going to explode from overheating. Did she really just say that?</p><p>“H-h-h-he said that?” Tanaka finally stutters out. He feels a sudden rage and mourns the fact that he can’t just straight up punch the guy in his pretty face.</p><p>Shimizu shakes her head. “No, he was trying to be polite about it. But it was clear what he was after. I think I knew, even before he asked me out, but I was hoping I was wrong.” She sighs suddenly. Her hands are deep in her pockets, her shoulders raised to keep her neck warm. “I handled it, though. I said no, and that we can continue to be friends. But if he actually calls me again for anything other than sex, I will be very surprised.”</p><p>“Man, what an asshole! I can’t believe him! I would be glad to even be <em> friends </em>with you, Kiyoko-san.”</p><p>“You’re a good friend, Tanaka.” She says, like she doesn’t even get how Tanaka’s entire world shatters and rebuilds itself in an entirely new perspective in that moment.</p><p>“We’re friends?!”</p><p>Shimizu sends him a frown. It seems to say, <em> don’t ask stupid questions </em>. </p><p>He exhales a laugh, nodding. Huh. <em> Huh </em>.</p><p>They finally arrive at the bus station. “So, uh…”</p><p>“Thank you for accompanying me here. And listening to me ramble. Though, I’m sorry you had to hear that.” She looks apologetic.</p><p>He laughs. “Nah, it’s alright. W-we’re friends, so. If anytime you want to ramble, feel, uh, free to, come to me, I guess.”</p><p>She nods. The bus stopped at the red light close to stop. There are a few students in there already. They took off their coats so the inside has to be warm enough. Good because Shimizu shivers like a chihuahua and her ears are red.</p><p>“Your ears are red,” he says out loud, too. “Do you want my hat?” </p><p>She shakes her head. It’s the answer he expected but it was still worth a try.</p><p>“I have one in my bag.”</p><p>“Huh? Then why aren’t you wearing it?”</p><p>She looks to the side, looking petulant. “I… didn’t want to mess up my hair,” she mumbles, embarrassed.</p><p>Tanaka rolls his eyes. It’s like Noya all over again. “You can buy those thingies to cover just your ears. Like Noya has. If you’re worried about your hair. But an asshole guy, any guy really, isn't worth sacrificing your health for. We have to have our manager with us for the tournament, after all!”</p><p>She laughs. “You’re right. I’m essential to the team’s win, after all.”</p><p>Tanaka grins. “You get it!”</p><p>The bus stops in front of them and the driver opens the door. Shimizu says, “Goodnight, Tanaka.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Kiyoko-san!”</p><p>He waits for the bus to take off safely, before he turns around. He doesn’t even know how he gets back to the restaurant. He gets pulled from his thoughts only when Saeko comments on the huge grin splitting his face.</p><p>Friends! They’re friends! They wouldn’t be friends if he annoyed Shimizu. And if she hated him she would probably tell him, seeing how she told the guy she’s not interested in him.</p><p>She’s, like, probably, his first female friend. Excluding his own sister. And Kanoka-chan, who he was friends with for like a year before his family moved to Miyagi.</p><p>The rest of the winter break Tanaka spends pretty much the same, but it feels like both seconds and ages passed since he last been at school. He was a bit afraid to see Shimizu again in particular.</p><p>He is both relieved and a bit disappointed when nothing changes between them. Tanaka is the same dumb self with Noy and the others and Shimizu only talks with Sawamura, Suga and Asahi the most.</p><p>One thing changes, though.</p><p>Tanaka doesn’t realize it until they’re graduating and saying their goodbyes to the third years, Coach Ukai is retiring, the team has a falling out, Asahi quits the team, Asahi and Noya fight, which ends with Noya’s suspension.</p><p>Amongst all of the chaos, Tanaka realizes he might just be a little bit in love with one Shimizu Kiyoko. </p><p>But he has the team to worry about that he doesn’t even think about it until he’s well in his second year.</p><p> </p><p>· • —– ٠ ♡ ٠ —– • ·</p><p> </p><p>But then Shimizu lets him take her bag and… Is that what hope feels like?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!! I'm starting uni this week, so I don't know when the next part is going to be sadly. But I wanted to share this, because it was fun to write and I'm proud of it</p><p>- I loved that Kiyoko is so shy and quiet in canon, and I wanted to explore her gaining her confidence, which I feel like has a lot to do with Karasuno boys, but Tanaka especially. Her smiles and how she is after she marries Tanaka is something that is so lovely, they're such a good couple that bring the best in each other, AND IT'S CANON</p><p>- As you read, I love the third years four friendship so much, but like Asahi Kiyko besties, bc they're just so similiar and have similiar fears and personalities and anxieties and all</p><p>- Noya LOVES fashion. He literally came to a school that got cool uniforms. And he collects girl's uniforms, as stated in Haikyuu-bu/Let's haikyuu, so that's like, AsaNoya confirmed</p><p>- I love Kiyoko being really shy, but having a blunt, kinda weird, dark, deadpan humor, it gives me life. But as I'm not funny myself, I may have not written it well. But I had fun so who cares haha. Also her becoming more confident and at ease with herself is so aspirational. And that's a big part of her being around people she likes and trusts? Having friends is nice (or at least I heard about that from the internet haha), and I wanted to show that she's really lonely. She doesn't have much backstory showed in canon, but I was suprised she didnt even have any friends outside of the vball club. And that it felt like Yachi was her first female friend (Yachi totally has a crush on her tho)? And I wanted to explore why is that. And it became this big thing, how she doesn't know how to make friends, and she's an only child of overworked parents, and that kind of influenced her interactions with people </p><p>- And Tanaka! Tanaka is like: no, i don't wanna fit it, Imma be loud and obnoxious and myself. And on the other hand he so desperately wants to fit in with everyone and be liked and respected and also wants girls to notice him but he has such a low self-esteem. In the Inarizaki match he really gets to show his thoughts a little. That everyone thinks he's "normal" and "mediocre" and he KNOWS that, which is so heartbreaking, seeing him thinking that about himself. And I wanted to explore that, how he wants to be "special" but also feels like he doesn't deserve it, because he is a certain way or looks a certain way. He wants to be more like Noya (who couldn't care less about others and he's effortlessly cool and good with people, and he just does his own thing) but Tanaka can never be like that, cos he CARES and WORRIES so much what others think of him. That's what I wanted to show here in this fic</p><p>- In the next chapter I will go into Kiyoko's friendship with Yachi and how long lasting it is, and how Tanaka and Kiyoko start dating! And sexy times because that's a big part of their relationship too, and I want to end it where manga ended with them so we'll see how much I'll write (I don't want to go into details with the wedding tho, coz I don't like weddings and don't know how japanese weddings work besides haha)</p><p>- Tell me what you thought about it or about TanaKiyo in general on:<br/><a href="https://w-szpurka.tumblr.com">tumblr</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/szpurkawrites">twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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